The Effects of Live and Recorded Music on Preschool Students' On-task Behavior

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of live and recorded music on preschool students’ on-task behavior. Previous studies suggest background music can improve students’ on-task behaviors. The sample for this study consisted of eight children in a three-year old Sunday school classroom from a large church in East Tennessee. Data were collected using no background music, recorded background music, and life background music played by the researcher on the violin while the students were working. The students were first observed for off-task behaviors during two weekly class meetings with no music. The next two meetings, the students were observed for off-task behaviors while classical violin music played in the background. For the last two meetings of observation, the researcher played Classical music on the violin. A list had been made with each student’s name. When a student was observed to be off-task, a tally-marked was placed by his/her name. Data were analyzed using a paired-samples t-test as well as a Pearson Product Moment correlation. Results indicated there were no significant differences in on-task behaviors while working with no music, recorded music, and live music. The results did not indicate a negative correlation between no background music and recorded background music. The increase in the variable of recorded background music decreases the variable of no background music. The results suggest that the implementation of recorded Classical background music in the preschool classroom could have a positive effect on the on-task behaviors of preschool students.